Back to Bedlam

Back to Bedlam is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter James Blunt. It was released on 11 October 2004 through Atlantic Records.[1] It is named after the infamous psychiatric institution of Bethlem Royal Hospital, which is commonly known as Bedlam.

The album was met with universal acclaim from music critics, who praised Blunt's voice and songwriting skills. It was a major commercial success and was the highest-selling album of 2005 in the UK, with over 2.4 million copies sold.[2] By December 2009, the album had been certified 10× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of over 3 million, making it the best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK.[3] In 2011, it was overtaken by the Amy Winehouse's Back to Black as the best-selling album of the 21st century in the UK.[4] Later that year, Back to Black was itself overtaken by Adele's 21.[5] Back to Bedlam currently ranks as the 16th best-selling album in UK chart history. As of 2014, it has sold 3.3 million copies in the UK[6] and over 11 million copies worldwide.[7]